Electric toy motor



Nov. 15, 1949 M005 ELECTRIC TOY MOTOR 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 16, 1948 NOV. 15, 1949 oos 2,488,223

ELECTRIC TOY MOTOR Filed July 16, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Nov. 15, 1949 ELECTRIC TOY MOTOR Robert Moos, Basel, Switzerland Application July 16, 1948, Serial No. 39,062 In Switzerland July 24, 1947 3 Claims.

My present invention relates to improvements in electric toy motors comprising main portions adapted as stator and rotor respectively, one of which includes a plurality of iron pole pieces and the other including a plurality of poles formed by coils, and an interrupter which interrupts the current supply to the pole coils at each revolution of the rotor in accord with the number of rotor poles.

The essence of my present invention resides in the fact that the said interrupter comprises at least one contact spring disposed in the circuit of the pole coils and so mounted on an actuating lever Which is journaled on the rotor axle as to vary, when the said lever is rotated or rocked in one sense or the other, the moment of current interruption and thus the rotary speed and the sense of rotation of the rotor.

Two forms of my present invention are illustrated on the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a first form,

Fig. 2 a plan view thereof,

Fig. 3 a partial plan view of said first form, showing the arrangement of certain parts and portions thereof,

Fig. 4 an end view of the interrupter of such first form, and

Figs. 5 and 6 show the second form in an elevation and plan view respectively.

The electric toy motor shown in Figs. 1 and 2 comprises a wooden base plate a, a circular hoop b secured thereto, and a rectangular supporting frame 0 secured to the said hoop. A metallic axle 2* is rotatably mounted in bearings 12 and 11 secured to two legs of the said frame, which legs extend parallel to the plane of the hoop b. A Wooden disc 1 having enlarged hub portions j and F, is pinned to the axle 2 and carries, on two opposite points of its circumference, a striplike pole iron g each. An actuating lever h is fulcrumed on the axle r on the side of the hub portion f and carries at one of its two ends a contact spring :i disposed in the electrical circuit of two coils k, 70' (Fig. 3) which are secured to the base board a. The free-end portion of the said spring 7' contacts either an insulating disc 11. or a metallic segmental plate m rabbeted or recessed in the latter, depending on the angular position of the axle r and the pole irons g respectively. The said disc n and plate m are concentrio and pinned to the axle 1'. The base board a, the coils k, k secured thereto, and the hoop b together with the frame c form the motor stator, while the disc 1 and the pole irons 9 form the rotor. The circuit of the coils k, k, which is to iii) 2 be connected to one pole, e. g. of a flashlight battery, is established across the contact spring 7', the metallic segmental plate m, the axle 1', the frame 0, the hoop b and, finally, the other pole of the battery. In the position of contact spring 7' shown in Fig. 1, such circuit is established, but is broken and made during each revolution of the rotor twice, 1. e. in accord with the number of iron poles g of the rotor.

The motor is so constructed that-when one rotor iron-pole, attracted by the magnet field of the energized coils, is approaching the latterthe segmental plate m is disengaged from the contact spring 7', thus temporarily interrupting the circuit and repeating the play by means of the other rotor iron-pole 9. By rocking the lever h, the moment of such interruption may be varied. It thus is possible to vary the rotary speed of the rotor and, if desired, also the sense of rotation thereof. Such latter variation arises when the lever h is rotated, from its position shown in Fig. 1, beyond the coils into the position opposite thereto.

In the second form of invention, shown in Figs. 5 and 6, the supporting frame secured to the hoop b consists of two frame portions 0 and c which are separated from each other through wooden blocks 112. Here again, the metallic rotor axle r is journaled in the said portions. A rotor body n, made of wood or some other insulating material, is pinned to the said axle, and two coils 0' and o are secured to the said body and form two oppositely arranged poles. The two legs of the frame portion 0 extending parallel to the rotor axle, form iron poles with which the coils o and 0 coact. Here again, a swing lever h is fulcrumed on the rotor axle r and carries two contact springs or tongues s. A metal pin p which is electrically connected to the said coils, is secured in the corresponding end-face of the rotor body n and alternately contacts the said two springs or tongues so as to periodically close the coil circuit. In a manner similar as in the first form of invention, the rotary speed and, if desired, the sense of rotation of the rotor may be varied by rotating the swing lever 71.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. An electric toy motor, adapted to be run from a flashlight battery or the like, comprising two main portions adapted as stator and rotor respectively, one said portion including iron poles and the other said portion including poles formed by coils, an interrupter adapted to interrupt the current supply in accord with the number of rotor poles and including at least one contact spring disposed in the circuit of the pole coils, and an actuating swing lever fulcrumed on the metallic rotor axle, the said spring being pivoted to the said lever, the whole in such combination that the moment of current interruption and thus the rotary speed and the sense of rotation of the rotor may be varied by rocking the said lever in one or the other direction.

2. An electric toy motor as claimed in claim 1, in which the said coils are disposed on an insulating base board and the said iron poles are disposed on an insulating disc, and in"*which'the interrupter comprises a second insulating disc pinned to the rotor axle, and a metallic-segmental plate secured to the said secondinsulating disc and to the rotor axle, such segmental plate and second insulating disc coacting with the said spring.

3. An electric toy motor as claimed in claim 1,

1 Numb er REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date 1,232,673 Fisher July 10, 1917 1,638,976 Arey Aug. 16, 1927 

